Disclaimer: I wish I owned Bones, but sadly I do not. I guess I'll just have to keep borrowing the characters until someone over at Fox finally decides to hand them over. As always, this story was written for entertainment purposes only and no copyright infringement was intended.

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The Author and the G-man

I love the smell of bookstores. There's something strangely comforting about the smell of all those new books just waiting to be read. Art may be my passion, but nothing beats getting lost in a good book. Evidently a lot of people felt the same way, if the line winding through the maze of bookshelves was any indication. Heading up the queue was one very tired author/anthropologist. I watched her sigh as she scribbled inscriptions in book after book. It was going to be a long night.

We'd just wrapped up a month-long investigation. The case was a tough one; multiple suspects, contradictory evidence, unclear motive. It had been an exhausting week for all of us, but especially for the dynamic duo. Brennan and Booth had barely stopped working the entire time. They hardly ate or slept and it had obviously taken its toll on them both. Once their murderer was safely apprehended, a well-deserved break was in order, but unfortunately Brennan had a whole other life that demanded her attention. As a best-selling author, she was often required to make public appearances. After many less-than-stellar television interviews, her publishers usually limited her commitments to book readings and signings. Although they worked her appearances around her schedule, it often meant even longer days for my workaholic friend.

As I stood out of the way providing moral support, I felt a light tap on my arm. I turned my head to find Booth greeting me with a worn smile. "Hey Ange."

"Hey!" I took in his rumpled suit, loosened tie, and disheveled hair. "I thought you'd be home in bed by now."

"I had a few loose ends to tie up at the Bureau," he explained, distracted. His eyes locked on his partner. "How's she holding up?"

"She's miserable," I answered. We both knew how draining these appearances were for Brennan. Not only was she tired from all her murder-solving, but her lack of social skills made the entire experience awkward and frustrating for her. "I feel so bad for her. She hates these things."

"Yeah, but she's tough," he reasoned, without taking his eyes off her. "She'll manage."

Brennan lifted her head to survey the crowd and cut her eyes in our direction. Her gaze immediately trained on Booth and I watched as a variety of emotions flitted across her face. Her expression finally settled onto "pleasantly surprised" and a faint smile touched her lips. His own lips quirked in a half-smile and his face softened into a look that would melt most women instantly. The entire exchange only lasted a few seconds, yet it spoke volumes. I was amazed by how much the two could communicate in a brief glance across a crowded room.

Brennan's attention was momentarily dragged away by her publisher, but she soon looked back in our direction. I gave her an encouraging smile and a thumbs-up, but I may as well have been invisible. She focused on Booth, her expression plainly asking, "What are you doing here?" In response, he cocked an eyebrow at her and flashed a toothy grin. Much to my surprise, she burst out laughing, shaking her head as she turned back to her multitude of fans.

Over the course of the evening, I watched the interaction between the two. Booth, for the most part, didn't take his eyes off of his partner. He's guarding her, I realized. He sized up everyone that approached her, his body tense as he tried to read each person's intentions. His hand instinctively hovered over his gun as one particularly excited fan gushed over her. Even though security was quite tight, it wasn't good enough for his Bones. Brennan likely wouldn't approve of his protectiveness, but I found it incredibly sweet.

Booth's mere presence seemed to rejuvenate the anthropologist. She'd glance over at him every few minutes and the two would exchange these indecipherable looks. Even across a room, the electricity between them was palpable. She had perked up and was more tolerant of the people fawning over her. He knew the effect he was having on her and his own mood brightened. After an hour of watching them make eyes at each other, I couldn't take it anymore. I turned to the burly agent at my side, folded my arms across my chest, and gave him an appraising look.

"You love her." It wasn't a question. The only indication that he'd heard me was the slight twitch of his jaw muscle. "I'll take your lack of response as a confirmation…"

Sighing, he finally leveled his gaze at me. "What do you want me to say, Angela? Of course I love her. She's my partner, my best friend…"

"Oh please! Don't give me that 'just partners' crap. You're in love with her."

Whew! He can be really scary when you push his buttons, I thought. I took note of his darkened eyes, clenched jaw, and menacing glare and wondered dizzily why Brennan was always provoking him. I was certainly quaking in my boots and I hadn't riled him nearly as much as she usually did. After a heart pounding minute, his body suddenly slumped in surrender and he released a whoosh of air. He turned his head to look at Brennan and was rewarded with another radiant grin. Visibly calmer, he angled his body away from her and locked in on me.

"Does she know?"

I was surprised he was being so direct, honest. I glanced past his imposing form at my best friend. "I don't think so." I gave him a wry smile. "I have no idea how though… It's written all over your face. You know, for a G-man, you're not very good at keeping secrets."

He chuckled bitterly. "Yeah, well it's getting harder to keep this secret…" He tried in vain to keep from sneaking a peek at her.

"So why are you then?"

He shook his head sadly and my heart broke for him. "There are a lot of reasons…"

"Reasons or excuses?" He seemed to mull this over. "Look, Booth… I don't know what's stopping you… Maybe you don't even know. What I do know is that you're good for her." He snorted in disbelief, so I continued. "She has changed in the four years you've worked together. She's opened herself up emotionally for the first time since she lost her family and that's all because of you."

"Angela…," he began, the doubt still evident in his voice.

"I've been trying to reach her for years, Booth, and you managed to swoop in and succeed where I've failed." I laughed ironically. "There's gotta be a reason…"

His eyes instinctively found hers again but he remained thoughtful. His suddenly cloudy demeanor put her on alert and she studied him with concern. He ignored her questioning gaze and turned back to me. "She's not ready for… this yet."

It was my turn to be thoughtful. "Maybe not," I conceded. "But she will be."

"Hey guys," the woman in question greeted as she walked toward us. She was watching Booth closely, trying to gauge his mood.

Shaking off his broodiness, Booth slung an arm across Brennan's shoulders. "You ready to go?"

"Yep, I'm ready."

"Let's go," he squeezed her shoulders, pulling her in for a quick hug, and then dropped his arm back to his side. Still keeping those secrets. I watched them walk side by side, chuckling to myself as he teased her and she playfully slapped his arm. She'll be ready, I concluded. It's only a matter of time before this chapter is over and the next one can begin.

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